How to Beat the Heat: Uchiha Style
by Juri.DP
Summary: On scorching summer days, Sasuke's only goal is to stay cool.
1. Chapter 1

**My A/C was down...and SasuHina wouldn't get out of my head...so here you go.**

**Small details you may not notice include Akamaru staying home because his fur is not suited for the heat, and Ko getting spotlight because he was Hinata's caretaker when she was younger, yet, he hardly ever gets spotlight in fics. Boom!**

**Hey, Juri has a question: How many light-hearted fics will prepare you enough for the darker ones? Think about that answer, but, until then...**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sasuke stood in front of his open refridgerator, scowling at the contents that were now showing the beginning signs of condensation. At the tingling irritant of yet another sweatdrop rolling down his back, the Uchiha slammed the door shut, running a hand through his sticky hair.

It was too damn hot.

The air conditioning was down in his apartment complex – again – and the next possible scheduling for maintenance would not be for another month. It was a load of crap, he knew this, because the village was not so preoccupied that someone couldn't come fix a simple cooling system.

So, to try and cope, he kept all curtains closed to keep out the sun. That helped a little, but he then resorted to keeping the windows cracked open to avoid the growing feeling of suffocation. If the right breeze blew, then that helped, but, in most cases, it did not. When cold showers proved more harmful than helpful, he was reduced to wander around in his boxers since wearing clothes would only have them become drenched, but even this did not help.

It was maddening.

He fell on his living room sofa and closed his eyes, completely drained. He tried to control his breathing; he was becoming light-headed. In a daze, he listened to the soft hum of the building, willing himself to sleep so he wouldn't be awake for the bulk of this torturous day.

_Hummmmmmm_

...

_Hummmmmmm_

...

_Hummmmmmm_

That...was the sound of the air conditioning.

Sasuke opened his eyes, his anger causing a new sheet of sweat to sweep over him. His mind went rampant as he jumped to his feet and stormed over to the temperature dial near the hallway.

There was no way this was happening.

He turned the knob to cool and waited. There was a rumbling, then a clanking, followed by a pathetic sputtering as it all shut down – the same sounds he's been hearing every time he was foolish enough to believe it was finally operating right.

He nodded, licking his lips irritably as he continued to hear the comforting hum from the apartments around him. He wouldn't think of the significance of this. He wouldn't assume anything because the heat had his nerves at a constant boiling point.

But...

If he had to draw a very logical conclusion, it would seem he was on the wrong side of favoritism. He was everyone's _favorite_ to annoy. He was the village's _favorite_ to pester. He was the _favorite_ when it came to being left to burn alive while everyone else sat in their freaking _ice boxes_.

Sasuke's grip on the dial tightened, snapping it off.

"Fuck," he growled, dropping the object and dragging himself to his room.

He had to get out of here.

*o0o0o0o0o0o*

Why did he come out here?

Sasuke walked aimlessly down the street, frequently waving the flaps of his collar and tugging on the front of his shirt. Initially, the outside had been a few degrees cooler than his apartment, but now, as he walked around with the sun at its highest peak, he realized he had been terribly, terribly misled.

But he was at a loss on what to do.

Going back home would slowly bake him alive, and wandering around would scorch him to death.

He grumbled, feeling sweat accumulate on his forehead and back. He shoved his hands in his pockets, resisting the urge to claw away at his clothing, but only felt his internal body temperature rise.

"Hey!" Sasuke felt a hand collide with his back, sending an irritating itchiness up and around his spine. "Eugh... You're all sweaty."

He forced his head to the side, glaring at a jacketless Naruto who was sweating just as much (if not more) than he was.

"Don't. Touch me."

"Aw, you grumpy 'cause of the heat?" he grinned, wiping his hand on his shirt. "Don't you have A/C?"

Sasuke looked at him harshly, a new wave of heat sweeping him. "Would I be out here if I did?"

Naruto crossed his arms, looking up into the sky. The raven-haired stared at him in a mild state of awe. He didn't know how he was able to do it, but Naruto seemed completely oblivious to the moisture dripping off of him.

It was almost...like he was mocking him.

"That's too bad," Naruto said, tiliting his head to the side. He looked at him suddenly, a wide smile parting his lips. "Guess we really are similar, huh? Mine's busted, so, eh." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Sasuke's eye twitched. Naruto...was pissing him off. The more he looked at the blonde – at the sweat freely sliding off of him – the more the idiot seemed to be put in a better mood. That wasn't _normal_.

The Uchiha tried to ignore him as they walked, but Naruto didn't seem to get it – or he just wasn't bothered by the neglect.

"Hey!" Naruto chimed, patting Sasuke on the back. "How 'bout we go for a swim!"

Sasuke looked at him, a bit short of breath.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei and Uber Brows are there right now."

Sasuke shuddered, looking away.

"Eh? No good?" Naruto scratched his head, causing more locks to stick up than usual. "Ah!" he exclaimed, slapping the Uchiha's back. "We could spar!"

He recoiled from his touch. "How would that help?"

"With what?"

Sasuke ground his teeth lightly. "Why did you suggest we spar?"

"I'm bored."

"It's ninety degrees..." He had to pause to catch his breath. "Why would you want to do that?"

The blonde blinked. "You want to cool off?"

The raven-haired walked faster.

"I have a great idea!" The back slapping returned. " We-"

Sasuke turned, grabbing Naruto by the collar, and slammed him to the ground.

"Sa-"

The Uchiha's knee rammed down on the blonde's chest, firmly pressing down. "_What_ do you want?"

"R-ramen," he coughed, forcing a convincing smile.

Sasuke pressed his knee in harder.

Naruto laughed through the pain. "We'll be out of the sun."

The Uchiha stared at him for a moment before kicking off of him. Naruto gasped for air, rubbing his chest.

"Eugh..." He wiped his face. "You got sweat on me."

*o0o0o0o0o0o*

"Here you go, boys," Teuchi announced, setting the bowls down. He picked up a handheld fan and fanned himself. "It's a hot one, isn't it?"

"It's pretty warm, I guess," Naruto smiled, snapping his chopsticks and preoccupying himself with his meal. Sasuke was collapsed next to him, his forehead pressed against the countertop.

"I'm gonna kill you," he muttered, almost wheezing.

"C'mon, we're outta the sun," Naruto said with his mouth full.

But with the ovens blasting and the broth steaming, Sasuke felt himself suffocating a very humid death.

"You should hurry and eat before your food gets cold."

"Shut up."

He had to find a way to cool off. He couldn't find it in himself to inflict pain anymore, so he knew he was reaching an unbearable point.

"Dammit!" Kiba roared, entering the shop. "It's no better in here!"

Naruto turned, finding his friend jacketless and dripping with sweat. "Hey, you guys got back late."

Kiba snorted, jabbing a thumb at Shino. "He gets sluggish when it's hot."

Shino stood silently next to him, fully cloaked in his jacket.

"Eh..." Naruto felt a few degrees warmer just looking at him. "Aren't you hot in that?"

"Mind over matter," he responded.

"Right... Where's Hinata?"

"Mm?" Kiba quirked a brow. "Why?"

Naruto shrugged. "Teams usually go the first few stops home together."

"Hm... Well, she went home. She's not crazy about heat like this." He sighed, shaking his head. "What I wouldn't give to live with her at times like these. Her place has one hell of a powerful A/C."

"Makes sense, I guess. With so many people, I bet the summers would be torture without it."

"You're telling me." Kiba moved to take a seat but stopped, inspecting the empty chairs. "Weren't you eating with someone?"

Naruto looked next him only to find Sasuke's seat empty.

*o0o0o0o0o0o*

Without much of a logical mind to drive him, Sasuke's body forced him to walk the agonizing expanse of Konoha and maneuver his way over the Hyuuga wall (he couldn't be bothered with the guard right now) until he was in front of the main house. He panted, half his conscious mind gone, and rang the doorbell. A moment later, it opened, and Sasuke was greeted by the most cooling, refreshing gust of air he's ever felt.

"Eeep!"

He focused, finding Hinata (wearing thick rimmed glasses he must have never noticed) hiding behind a now nearly closed door.

"I-I mean... Um... Y-yes? What do you need?"

He shook his head, trying to focus. "We're gonna watch a movie."

She paled. "W...we? Um... Wh-why would we do that?"

Sasuke pushed his way in, causing Hinata to squeak and jump back. He felt an icy cold relief wash over him now that he was inside and almost passed out due to this immense calm.

Unaware to him, Hinata stared in a state shy of horror, trembling as she pulled on her T-shirt to cover her legs not at all hidden by her short shorts. She wasn't sure if she should be on the defensive or offensive because Sasuke Uchiha was _not_ a person she ever had to, cared to, or thought to deal with. Then he shows up, barges into her house, and _demands_ they...

...watch a movie?

He came all this way to watch a movie with _her_?

That didn't make any sense.

She stared at him, noting how sweaty he was. Which meant...he put himself through the extreme heat just to...

"Hinata."

Hinata jumped, turning so fast that her hair (which was pulled into a ponytail) whipped across the Uchiha's face. Kō stood there, eying the duo curiously, which only made the girl go the palest she's ever been.

"I see...the Uchiha's here," he said awkwardly, trying to piece things together. "Is something going on?"

She shook her head, face exploding red. "N-no, we- he just, um, came here to...to watch a movie."

"You two?" He blinked, unable to stop himself from going wide-eyed. "Oh... He's not as..." he coughed, redirecting his words. "I never pegged him as the type you'd go for."

"We're not like that!" she blurted. "We... He... It's just..."

"It's alright," he smiled sympathetically. "Girls have that bad boy phase." He looked Sasuke over, who seemed completely in a different world. "Um... Feel free to lend him the bathroom."

Kō walked on, not daring to look back because he did not know whether or not her current interest made more sense than her last.

Hinata watched as he walked away; she found herself very distressed now that she was back in this uncomfortable situation. She looked up at Sasuke.

He seemed very...relaxed.

She nibbled her bottom lip and took in his appearance once again. His hair was slightly matted and sticking up in places; his shirt was practically glued to him, and his expression held a bit of exhaustion. And...he was like this because he wanted to watch a movie with her...? The thought of it was unsettling enough, but the reason behind it unnerved her even more.

But, because she knew the pain of heartache, she figured she should at least be...nice.

"Sasuke?"

He didn't move.

"Sasuke?"

Nothing.

She reached a tentative hand out to him, gently grabbing hold of his wrist. When he didn't recoil or respond in any way, she tugged on him, taking a step forward. He followed but was still spaced out. She frowned but found herself a bit intrigued. No one ever told her Sasuke was...odd.

She led the dazed Uchiha to the nearest bathroom so he could wash off. She placed clothes in there for him, but she wondered if it would do any good because he was still unresponsive when she left him in there.

Not knowing what else to do, a confused Hinata went to the small theater room to pick out movies.

*o0o0o0o0o0o*

Sasuke walked out of the unusually colorless bathroom into the hallway. Drying his hair, he looked up and down the hall.

Where the hell was he?

"Are you finished?"

He looked down the hall to see Hinata standing a good distance – a safe distance – from him.

"I, um, hope nii-sa...Neji's clothes fit comfortably."

He instinctively looked down at the white shirt and dark sport shorts. He frowned.

Neji's clothes...

"Um, if you're ready...f-follow me."

He hadn't the clearest idea how he had gotten to this point in the day, but he followed the heiress just to prolong his stay.

She led him to a room with a large flat screen televison and a decent sized black sofa pressed against the wall opposite it. On the left wall stood rows and rows of DVDs. Sasuke scanned the room, looking for the most important aspect.

"I figured you might...like these." Hinata stood in front of him, keeping that safe distance, and presented him with five different titles. "Which... Which do you want to watch?"

"All of them," he answered absentmindedly, not bothering to spare a glance.

Hinata blinked, looking at the DVDs, and proceeded to the five slotted DVD player.

Sasuke continued to search until he finally found what he was looking for: The vent – source of the cool air he suddenly became addicted to. It was on the ceiling just over the left side of the sofa.

"O-okay," Hinata huffed, picking up the remote. "If you would get the lights...um, we can watch it now."

And then she sat down.

Right where the vent was.

Sasuke twitched.

She must have done that on purpose. Why, out of any spot, would she sit right _there_?

"Um..."

He snapped out of his anger, looking at her.

"Is everything alright?"

Sasuke sighed, flicking the lights off, and walked over to the couch, taking a seat flush against the Hyuuga.

Hinata went rigid, a bothersome blush spreading across her face in record speed. Why did he do that? Why was he sitting so close to her? They were..._touching_. Was he trying to make a move on her? Was _this_ what being forward was like?

She tried not to think about it because she was sure her actions would give him the wrong idea. She raked through her brain trying to find a casual way to move away from him.

"Are you cold?" She stood, taking a few small steps away. "I can turn the air conditioning off, if you want."

Sasuke grabbed her hand; Hinata froze.

"Just sit down."

And she did.

Right back where she originally was.

For the remainder of the movie, Hinata's mind went wild, trying to come to terms that _Sasuke Uchiha_ – a person she could have gone her whole life without conversing with – may have had a crush on her.

Sasuke, on the otherhand, fell asleep after the first ten minutes of the movie.

*o0o0o0o0o0o*

Neji entered the house, completely grateful for the cold air that greeted him. Sparring had been cut incredibly short (as proclaimed by both him and Tenten), and he would prefer nothing more than to sleep until the sun got a little lower in the sky.

"Ah, welcome back, Neji."

He looked over, spotting Kō walking by. "Hello. Has Hinata-sama returned?"

Kō froze, turning stiffly. "That...she did. I do believe she's preoccupied at the moment."

"Oh?" Neji stepped out of his shoes. "Where is she?"

"I... I believe she mentioned watching a movie." He coughed. "Excuse me."

Neji watched him hurry on his way, his curiosity fully peaked.

He made his way to the theater room. Knowing his cousin, she probably fell asleep. Just to confirm his suspicions faster, he activated his Byakugan and quickly located her.

He stopped walking, staring at the image just three hallway turns away.

That...

He deactivated his Byakugan, quickening his steps. If what he saw was right, there was no way to explain it. For the two of them to be in such close proximities...

Neji burst into the room, turning the lights on. Hinata jumped; she was wearing those novelty glasses he bought her two years ago, but, more than that, it really _was_ him – sleeping against Hinata!

And in _his_ clothes!

Hinata opened and closed her mouth, the hand that was in the Uchiha's hair now hovering above the offending place.

"No." Neji groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, no, _no_."

* * *

And it was yet another summer day that Sasuke found himself in the company of Naruto trying to find a way to beat the heat.

Yesterday had been like a pleasant dream – surrounded by an endless supply of refreshing coolness – until the pompous one came and threw him out.

"How about ramen?" Naruto grinned, face glistening, but he was as unaware of it today as he was yesterday.

"No."

"Guh... Then what _do_ you want to do?"

"Be rid of you."

"Why do you act like you hate me?" Naruto threw his arm around Sasuke, yanking him closer. "Brothers are supposed to _looooooove_ each other!"

Sasuke snapped, grabbing Naruto by the collar. "Listen to me-!"

"E-excuse me."

They looked to find Hinata standing in front of them – jacketless – holding a plastic bag. Kiba and Shino stood behind her. Surprisingly, she was hardly sweating compared to everyone else.

"Hey, guys," Naruto greeted.

Team 8 eyed the two's closeness but said nothing of it.

"Look," Kiba said, "it's hot, alright? Hinata's been looking all over for you, so just spare a few minutes."

Naruto untangled himself from Sasuke. "Oh... Alright."

"Um...I actually wanted to speak with S-Sasuke."

Kiba spun her around, giving Naruto more of a shock than Hinata herself. "You never said that," he accused, frantic. "You said _Naruto_. You were looking for _Naruto_."

"I...figured Sasuke would be with him." She looked at her team then at Naruto. "Could the three of you stand over there?"

A stunned Kiba and a slightly surprised Naruto were led away by Shino. Hinata turned to Sasuke, her cheeks tinting when he looked at her.

"Ah...here." She extended the bag out to him. "I washed your clothes for you."

Sasuke took it from her. "Okay."

"Um... S-sorry about Neji. He gets a little...uncomfortable when people visit."

Sasuke nodded vaguely, wondering why she was explaining this to him.

"But..." she pushed her index fingers together, staring at them, "he's...gone on a mission today." She looked up at him, shaking by the slightest degree. "So...i-if you wanted to c-come over again, um... I'd be...okay with it." Her shaking had now worsened, and she couldn't look at him for more than a few miliseconds. "I-I-I-I m-mean if you w-w-wanted to, then...th-then... Um!" She bowed deeply. "S-sorry!"

And then she turned heel and ran.

"What the hell?!" Kiba zapped over to him, yanking him by the collar. "She washed your clothes?! Come over _again_?! What the hell are you up to?!"

Naruto stared at him, still trying to get over the fact that Hinata had looked for him...to find Sasuke. "Are we really lumped together?"

"Answer me, Sasuke!"

"It's not like I'm your keeper..."

"What were you doing at her house?!"

"Or...are you _my_ keeper?"

"She's off limits, hear me?!"

"What is life...?"

Sasuke barely heard any of this. All he knew was...

...he would survive another day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Is this what an epilogue is? Well, whatevs. I haven't slept since noon yesterday, and today's my berfday! I decided to exact random kindness by updating random fics. Then I will post oneshots cuz I can. So, now this is a twoshot. You're welcome!**

**And we shall mark this date! 06/09/14**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

They were dating.

At least...Hinata concluded that they were.

It's been two months since Sasuke began to visit her home, and, well, she never summoned the courage to ask him about where they stood. Sasuke never _asked her out_, per say, but he was an odd individual.

Most of the time, he came over in the morning and didn't leave until sometime at night. The Hyuuga family hadn't particularly approved of the Uchiha's reoccurring appearances, but they soon appreciated that he never tried to take Hinata out on unsupervised dates. So, as long as he kept coming here, they'd make an exception for him. The guards no longer tried to keep him out, and no one spied on them with the Byakugan.

Sasuke never made a move on her, after all.

So, because her family approved (most, anyway), and because Kiba and Shino never came over as often or stayed as long, Hinata could only assume that she accepted being with the Uchiha the day she invited him back.

She hoped this wasn't too forward of an assumption because she rather liked having him around. They never talked, really. She didn't know his favorite color, his favorite food, his favorite thing to do, or vis versa, but she knew other things. She knew he liked to watch movies even though he'd fall asleep in the middle of it. She knew that he must have liked sleeping on her because he would always sit close to her _knowing_ that he would fall asleep. She also knew he must be a shy guy because she always found herself running her fingers through his hair, and, when he woke up, he'd blink rapidly and move away from her for a while.

It was a strange relationship, but they had been strange from the start.

* * *

He was convinced she thought they were dating.

In fact, he knew she must have because there was no way an introvert like Hinata Hyuuga would be so comfortable with _him_.

_Him!_

For one thing, he thought maybe this was his fault. Maybe his first interaction with her shouldn't have been a disheveled mess who made a ridiculous declaration due to the maddening heat. Still, she was a ninja – her team specialized in information gathering! – so he expected more from her than thinking he had initiated a relationship.

_Him!_

But he also didn't know how to fix the situation. It was always too hot, so he was never in his right mind when he came over here. This was her house, so he couldn't jeopardize everything by telling her to _stop sitting under the vent_. This same reason applied to when he woke up with her hand running through his hair. Why and when that started happening, he didn't know. She always did it, but he was defenseless. If he slighted her in anyway, he could lose this ice-cold utopia.

Not to mention her cousin was always in hearing distance, so he couldn't..._do_ anything.

His only other options for cooling relief was Ino or Sakura – Naruto's air conditioning still wasn't fixed, and he didn't like anyone else – so what Hinata did was innocent compared to what they would do.

Plus, she didn't talk, so that was a slight perk.

*o0o0o0o*

When night fell, Sasuke had woken up, again, to those light, treading fingers in his hair. He slowly pulled himself from her shoulder, keeping his irritated nerves under control, and scooted to the other end of the sofa. For a while he didn't say anything; he just covered his face with his hand and breathed deeply.

"I have to go," he finally said, standing.

"Ah!" Hinata stood clumsily. "I-I'll walk you to the door."

He found that odd, but he said nothing of it.

When they got to the door, he could tell Hinata was on edge about something. He wasn't concerned, but an unsettling thought told him she was going to make this the last time he came over.

He sighed. "What's wrong?"

Hinata jumped, wringing her hands together. "Ah... Um... I was just wondering if... I mean, I wanted to ask if you... Th-that is, _I _wanted...fr-from you..." Suddenly, she gasped, her hands shooting to her mouth. "I'll be right back!"

Sasuke watched as she darted off. This behavior wasn't usual. She was talking (sort of) too much, and she's never done that before.

To preoccupy himself, Sasuke sat down and began to put on his shoes. Moments later, he heard a frantic Hinata come back, huffing behind him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked blandly, not turning to face her.

"U-um... Yes, w-well..." She coughed, clearing her throat. "B-before that, I was wondering if I could... Uh, I want to..."

Sasuke groaned to himself. "Want to what?"

Hinata fell quiet. He sensed her drop to her knees, but it was only after she placed her hand on his shoulder that he turned around.

He was greeted with a kiss on his cheek.

He froze, blinking, and looked back at a shaking Hinata who had her face in her hands.

"Oh!" she whimpered, her voice shaky. "M-my first k-k-kiss!" She picked an item up from her lap (that Sasuke now took note of) and placed it on the floor in front of him. Her face was a dark shade of red, and she couldn't find it in herself to look at him. "H-h-h-h-here!"

And with that, she darted off.

* * *

Sasuke hadn't thought much of it when he left or after he arrived home.

His initial thought had been that it was bold – for her. He mulled the thought over as he looked through his refrigerator for something to eat. Looking to the counter, he eyed the round something wrapped in pink, striped wrapping paper. Hinata had given him a present, and he hadn't the slightest idea why.

Shrugging, he closed the refrigerator, snatched the gift, and walked to his room. He tossed it on the bed before gathering clothes for a shower.

*o0o0o0o*

When Sasuke returned, he had forgotten about the gift completely and was suddenly reminded of the odd events of the day when he entered the room. With a towel draped over his shoulders, he gave in to what little curiosity he had.

He sat on his bed and proceeded to rip the wrapping off in one go. Staring back at him was a round dark blue plush toy on a keychain with large cartoonish eyes. He stared at it with extreme puzzlement. He squeezed it a few times just to make sense of this. It was then that he noticed a slip of paper that had fallen to the floor. He picked it up and read the bubbled words surrounded by drawn glitter and confetti:

_Happy Birthday, Sasuke!_

* * *

When Sasuke hadn't shown up that morning, Hinata felt as though yesterday was a very, very bad mistake.

She was too forward!

Not only had she kissed him, but she gave him that childish gift. Did that all offend him? Should she apologize somehow? Would that make any sense? She didn't want her first relationship to end because she had pushed her boundaries, but how could she _fix_ a relationship?

Hinata tortured herself with the thought as she sat huddled on her bed. There was a knock at the door, to which she told the person to come in.

"Hinata," Hanabi said as she entered. "...What are you doing?"

"...Brooding," she mumbled.

"Un. Why?"

"Because...I'm stupid."

"Oh. Well, go be stupid at the front door. Sasuke's been waiting."

Hinata's head shot up. "What?"

"Your boyfriend." Hanabi pointed out the door. "He's-"

Hinata darted out the room, fumbling as she went. When she reached the door, she paused, taking a few minutes to collect herself, and opened it.

Sasuke looked at her, hands pocketed, and raised an eyebrow. "That took awhile."

"You were waiting long?"

To be accurate, it was about thirty-two minutes, but Neji had been the one to answer the door...

"Forget it. Look, let's do something different."

"Different?"

"Aa. Something you want to do."

"M-me?" She looked around, self-conscious. "...How do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you want. Like a..." Sasuke blinked, his mind suddenly failing him. What was that word? It was such a stupid thing to forget, and Sasuke was finding his irritability rising.

Hinata gasped. "I-is this a date?"

That was it. "Yeah." He flicked his head. "Come on."

Hinata was about to take a step out, but she was suddenly aware of her appearance. She looked down at her shorts and T-shirt - her typical summer attire. "W-wait," she said, flustered, as she pulled her hair loose from her ponytail. "I should get dressed."

"You look fine."

She reddened, shaking her head. "N-no, this isn't something I usually-"

"It's fine," he insisted, pulling her out, barely giving her time to grab her shoes and close the door.

* * *

It was rather odd, people thought.

Nobody made a huge fuss or completely stopped what they were doing because it wasn't...too scandalous. They actually looked quite nice, and people were merely surprised they had somehow found each other...in that way.

Hinata's face was flushed, which seemed to go entirely unnoticed by Sasuke because he had went so far as to put his arm around her. Something changed him last night. He never thought she invested a lot into what she thought was going on between them, and, well, it wouldn't hurt to give just this once.

He glanced down at her. "Stop that."

She jumped at the sound of his voice, involuntarily pulling on her shorts harder. "Th-this is embarrassing."

"What?"

"I feel...naked."

Sasuke glanced again, this time at her legs. "You're fine." He paused. "So...how did you know yesterday was my birthday?"

"I remembered...from a long time ago. I'm not sure how I found out then."

"Ah... Well, where do you-"

"Fucking hell!"

The two cringed, dreading the voice that had yelled from behind them.

"Sasuke! Hinata!" Naruto yelled. "When-"

"What the hell is this?!"

Hinata squeaked, seeing Kiba running at them from up ahead. She and Sasuke tried to find a way of escape, but everywhere they turned, a new face appeared – and Hinata felt more exposed.

It wasn't long before the remainder of Rookie Nine surrounded them, and questions were launched their way.

"When did this happen?"

"You're dating?"

"Blink twice if you need help, okay?"

"You like girls?"

"Are those new clothes?"

"Wait, what does five blinks mean?"

"You like each other?"

Hinata's head was spinning. This was too much, and she only felt a breakdown coming on – more for her lack of clothes than the shock of her friends.

"Hey, what's this?" Naruto asked, unintentionally yanking something off the belt loop of Sasuke's pants. Sasuke glared at him, snatching the item away and sending a swift kick to Naruto's chest. Everyone looked at him, stunned, but only for a moment.

Hinata, however, blinked rapidly, before taking notice of the keychain in his hand. "You...liked it?"

He looked at her, frowning uncomfortably. He shrugged, pocketing the item. "Thanks," he said, replacing an answer with belated gratitude.

Choji verbally 'aww'ed, earning him a few glances.

"So?" Naruto prompted, crawling back to the group. "What does this mean?"

Hinata looked at the ground, not knowing if she should answer.

"She's my girlfriend," Sasuke replied blandly.

Faces ranged from shock, rage, to teary-eyes.

"And," he pulled Hinata's attention to him, swiftly leaning down and connecting their lips.

All faces snapped to surprise, a few eyes bulging.

He pulled away, staring at the heiress, "_that_ was your first kiss."

Hinata fainted, leaving Sasuke at the emotional cheers and vicious assaults of their friends.


End file.
